


higher

by havisham



Series: havisham's SASO 2017 works collection [70]
Category: Free!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Dysfunctional Relationships, Host Clubs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 05:48:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: You take me higher than the rest / Everybody else is second bestSousuke's a host, Rin's his best client, his ace.





	higher

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SASO 2017, Bonus Round 7: Free-For-All, for the [prompt](http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/25713.html?thread=15970161#cmt15970161): Sousuke/Rin, A host's top-paying customer is called their 'ace'.

So, he needed money. He really, really needed money. That was the problem with preparing his whole life for a dream that had never materialized-- in its absence, Sousuke scrambled to find something else to fill up the emptiness. He'd known that he couldn't stay in Iwatobi, not where everyone knew what he had been expected to do, and what he had failed to do, but living in the city, going to university there, all of it was expensive and he couldn't expect his parents to support him.

Someone had slid a card across the table from where he was drinking a cola, and curious, he picked it up, glancing up at the person who had done it. He was an older man, completely nondescript and the card turned to be an flyer for a host club and Sousuke dropped it like it was on fire. 

_I'm not that desperate_ , he assured himself, and went back to his job applications. 

But in truth, he was. He hated his cramped, fetid apartment and eating his dinner out of a can six days out of seven. He made it to class in the mornings, but he was always tired from his three part-time jobs, too tired to do anything much besides be there and make a half-hearted effort at taking notes. 

_Why am I here?_ The question followed him around like a hungry dog, gnawing at his consciousness. The card for the host club he found in his pocket and one day, in his boredom, decided to go there. Just to see what it was like. 

*

The club was clean and well-lit and looked to the world like it was an ordinary, if somewhat upscale bar. Sousuke went over to the bar to order a drink and watched the people go by. Eventually, someone approached him -- slight, dark haired man who was maybe a few older than himself.

“Hey, big guy! Wanna be my ace?” And he'd winked, like it was all a big joke. Sousuke couldn't help but stare at him. He seemed to have a smile that would creep into his expression no matter what he was talking about, and he was smiling even as Sousuke not-very subtly began to interrogate him on how it was like to work there. 

Casually, Lancer (that was what he said to call him, anyway) mentioned how much he made in a usual week and that made Sousuke with his three jobs pause. 

“Do you … like it?” Sousuke asked him, “Isn't it creepy? Do you have to--?” 

“Fuck them? Not if you don't want to,” Lancer said, giving Sousuke a lascivious look. Sousuke pulled away with a moue of disgust. 

“Why would you want to? With someone who’s … paid you?” 

“I think the ethics and practicalities of sex work is a little beyond what we’re doing here,” Lancer said cheerfully. He glanced at his phone and said, “And our fifteen minutes are up! You can use the app to order more time, or you can pay as you leave.” 

Sousuke thought about it longer than he should’ve -- there was something oddly comforting about Lancer, despite his ingratiating ways and near-constant smile. But he had to go to work. 

Before he left, however, Lancer stopped him one more time. “I think you’d have fun here,” Lancer said with a grin. “And it beats being stuck in a cubicle or scrubbing tables. Think about it.” 

*

Sousuke thought about it until they cut off his electricity for the third time. Then, by the fitful light of his phone, he texted the club manager and said he’d take the job. 

*

It wasn’t so bad, working there. Lancer -- Takao was his real name, which he said with a flourish -- took him under his wing and explained to him the rules. The rules that included a very strict non-fraternization policy between clients and hosts outside the club and rather more loose rules about sexual contact between the same. 

Most clients -- both men and women -- wanted conversation more than anything else, attention and care from a handsome, polite young men who were forbidden to look at their mobiles until the very end of their sessions. It was a rare client who wanted more. Whatever client paid the most for a host’s time was called their ace, and Takao’s ace was a severe-looking man with slightly unfashionable glasses who would come in at seven o’clock and stay until closing -- keeping Takao with him the whole time. 

Sousuke struggled at first with the acting -- he couldn’t imagine how anyone would be fooled by him, pretending to care about whatever the client was talking about. His boredom must have shown on his face, but for some reason, he was often requested by clients anyway. 

“They like how bored you are of them, Sousuke-kun,” Takao said with a snicker as they were getting ready for their shift. Sousuke snorted sharply and tried to comb the hair from his eyes. 

“Let me help, bend down,” Takao said, taking Sousuke’s comb from him. Sousuke bent down with a word and let Takao push back his hair. After he was done, Takao stepped back and whistled appreciatively. “Looking good, Big.” 

“I hate that nickname,” Sousuke sighed. 

“Too bad! You name the next guy -- that’s the tradition!” 

*

Everything was going relatively well -- Sousuke was finally able to bring home a fairly good amount of money, and had cultivated enough of a reputation at the club for aloof coolness that his services were always in demand -- when the worst happened. 

Sousuke almost couldn’t believe it -- one fine day, who else walked through the door but Matsuoka Rin, his childhood best friend and only person Sousuke’s narrow and fragile heart had ever seen fit to love? Sousuke got up and excused himself from his client -- a middle aged divorcee who really just wanted to vent about her ex-husband with colorful -- and sometimes hilarious -- anecdotes. But it was too late -- Rin had spotted him. 

Sousuke’s luck really was the worst in the world.

When he had returned from washing his face with cold water, Mrs. Tanaka was gone and in her place sat Rin. “What are you doing here?” Sousuke hissed at him, taking his seat at the table. Rin looked surprised at his hostility. He shouldn’t have been. Had they even spoken since graduating? Sousuke had understood that he would no longer have a place in Rin’s world going forward, but the silence had hurt nonetheless. 

“You wouldn’t return my calls,” Rin said, leaning forward, his eyes narrow. “Do you know how many people I had to get through before Kisumi told me where you were?” “I hadn’t even told Kisumi I worked here,” Sousuke said, sighing. Damn that pink-haired devil. He always knew whatever he shouldn’t about Sousuke. “Why aren’t you in Australia anyway?”

“I transferred,” Rin said stiffly. And then, with a touch of pride, he said, “I’ve made the national team for 2020.” 

“Congratulations,” Sousuke said automatically. “Work hard.” 

“You really didn’t want to see me?” Rin said, his shoulders slumping downwards. “Sousuke-kun, how could you…” 

Of course he wanted to see him. He had always wanted him. But to say that would be to betray himself, so all Sousuke did was nod. Rin stayed with him until closing, and they talked like they hadn’t since they were in Samezuka -- about everything and nothing. Just talked like they had all the time in the world. Sousuke realized anew that he had missed Rin so much that his heart ached, just seeing him. 

When Rin wasn’t there, Sousuke could convince himself that he didn’t really need him. When Rin was here, that was impossible. 

The next week, Rin came back and spent another evening with him. It became a weekly thing. Rin was Sousuke’s ace in everything that mattered. 

Well, everything but -- 

“I want to do it,” Rin said one evening and Sousuke, whose attention was drifting to the math test he’d had that afternoon. 

“What?”

“There’s a secret menu, isn’t there? That guy --” he glanced over at Takao, who flashed them both a bright smile, “mentioned it.” 

“Rin,” Sousuke said, “no.” 

“Why not?” 

“I’m not going to do that -- any of that -- with you.” 

“Why not? You’ll do it with other people but not me?” 

“That’s it,” Sousuke said, closing out their appointment on the app. “Time’s over. You can pay when you get out.” 

“Sousuke, come on!” 

*

Later, Sousuke said, somewhat coldly, “I’m only doing it for the money. I hope you understand that.” 

Rin sighed and laid down flat on the bed. He’d taken off his shirt and pants and his skin was pale against the sheets. “I understand that.” 

Sousuke stood over him for a moment, uncertain, before he gave into his impulse to touch Rin. Rin leaned into his hands like a cat. “Why are you doing this,” Sousuke asked quietly. 

“I couldn’t think of a better way to reach you.” Rin looked at him earnestly. “Sousuke, I’ve liked you for years.” 

“You’re lying.” 

“Why do you think I’m lying?!” 

“Because I know you, Rin! You’ve liked -- I don’t know, Haru. Yeah, him. You’ve never liked me. Not in the way I liked you.” 

“You’ve always assumed everything about me,” Rin said, a little pettishly. “I won’t argue any more. Suck me.” 

“You’ve reviewed the choices, then?” Sousuke asked drily. Rin glared at him. 

Rin’s cock was as pretty as the rest of him and tasted clean with only a hint of musk. Sousuke sucked at it, knowing perfectly well that he would’ve even if Rin had never paid him, even if Rin never loved him. He was so fucking easy for Rin that it made him sick, almost. 

Being sick, however, wasn’t the best thought to have with someone’s cock in his mouth. He choked on it, choked on nothing and had to pull away, wiping off the snot and tears and saliva from his face. 

“It’s so -- fucked up and it’s too late,” he said. Hopeless. He always found out things too late the help them. 

“It’s fucked up, but it’s not too late,” Rin said and kissed him. Sousuke shuddered against him, filled with so much want in his body that he thought he would explode. 

“It’s extra for kisses,” he said instead and Rin looked at him disapprovingly. 

He wished what Rin said was true. But it couldn’t be -- could it? 

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a list of [sportspeople by nicknames. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sportspeople_by_nickname#Swimming) I thought of giving Sousuke a lot wilder nickname before deciding on the ~~boring~~ one I picked. Every host gets a sporty nickname!
> 
> Title and summary from Carly Rae Jepson.


End file.
